Joe Phillips
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Joe Phillips (born February 13th in the late sixties) is an American comic book artist well-known for both mainstream comic book work, as well as work for gay-themed magazines.
Phillips started drawing at a very young age when his mother bought him a pad of paper and some pens, which Phillips says "started my lifelong obsession with art". Art became his way of communicating, and he pursued his passion into his teens when he joined a creative arts school. "It was a veritable episode of Fame," says Phillips.
According to Phillips, it was when he was introduced to the heroically-drawn figures of comic book heroes like The Flash and The Green Lantern, combined with his awakening hormones, that brought him to the realization of both his budding homosexuality and his future as an artist. Later, he took his portfolio around to numerous regional comic conventions and ended up with work from a small comic book company, David Anthony Kraft's Comics Interview, where he worked on the title Southern Knights.
From there, Phillips went mainstream, working on the likes of Speed Racer, Interview With The Vampire, Mister Miracle, Timber Wolf, and Justice League Of America. He was also one of the original members of Atlanta's Gaijin Studios, his tenure lasting from 1991 until early 1993. Gaijin Studios has long been considered an influential breeding ground for some of comics' most prominent talents, thanks in part to Phillips' contributions.
After several years of success in comics and a move to San Diego, Phillips found that the comics market had begun a severe crash and work was becoming scarce. After a stint freelancing for Wildstorm, Phillips found himself creatively unfulfilled and ultimately left the comics scene to work for the gay-themed XY Magazine.
Now, Phillips was in his element. He launched a line of paper-doll-style magnets for the gay market called "JoeBoy Dress-Me Magnets." Soon after, Phillips started JoeBoy Comics, a collection of humorous gay comic strips, which were very successful. Afterwards, Phillips produced more risque humor work for adult websites like Absolutely Male and Kara's Adult Playground. Phillips' creation, the House of Morecock was so successful as a website that it's short cartoons were released on DVD. Books featuring lead character Jonas Morecock followed. Gay themes are a key part of his oeuvre, though he still works for mainstream clients like Budweiser and DC Comics.
Phillips explains his outlook thusly: "I draw from the idea that we would all like to be in a beautiful place, with our friends and loved ones. When I was younger, I always wanted to see more positive images of gay life. When I didn't find enough of them, I began creating the images myself."
As of September 2006 Joe is in post production of his second adult animated DVD entitled Stonewall & Riot: The Ultimate Orgasm which is due for release on October 30th. His other adult DVD House Of Morecock gained Phillips a Gay VN award.
